


A Date with the Director of Admissions

by Aria_Lerendeair, StarlightDragon



Series: The Director of Admissions [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, Insecure!Dean, M/M, Second First Date, fluff and cuteness, reminscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 22:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6259012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair, https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightDragon/pseuds/StarlightDragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to "Letter to the Director of Admissions" </p><p>Dean and Cas have their second first-date.  Dean's more nervous than he wants to admit to, but this is Cas, and things were always easy with Cas.  He's just not sure that's still the case.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Date with the Director of Admissions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StarlightDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightDragon/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Letter to the Director of Admissions](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6255100) by [Aria_Lerendeair](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair), [StarlightDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlightDragon/pseuds/StarlightDragon). 



> For Rose as a sequel to your adorable fic. :)

 

 

Dean was nervous.

 

He hated being nervous. He looked around the little bistro again and was acutely aware of just how out of place he was here. He'd even called ahead and made sure to get a table on the terrace so they could look out at the lake. 

 

Dean glanced at his watch and wondered if he should roll down the sleeves of his white button up. Cas always liked things proper. He'd always enjoyed ruffling Cas’ proverbial feathers. 

 

He sighed and looked around. Ten minutes til eight. At least he'd worn the jeans without rips in them. He cleaned up pretty nice according to Katie. 

 

Fuck, what the hell was he doing here? Cas had always deserved better than him. Always. 

 

Dean flipped open his phone and stared at the last message from Cas and the way he'd signed it.  _ Love, Cas _ What the hell was Cas doing throwing that word out there so easily? Dammit he should never have sent that stupidly sappy email. 

 

Dean shoved his phone into his pocket and took another aggressive sip of his water. What if Cas didn't recognize him? What if Cas wasn't the same adorably nerdy guy he'd loved once? Dean bit down on his lip. This was clearly a mistake. He should have let things lie. Should have let Cas say goodbye like he'd wanted to, because Cas was better off without a deadbeat like him in his-

 

“Hello, Dean.” 

 

Dean closed his eyes for a moment. The voice was a little different now, deeper, richer, but still the same intonation and pauses. He stood up slowly and turned to look at the man standing next to the table. Castiel was wearing an ill-fitting navy suit, a tie that was backwards and a trenchcoat. Dean was positive that he had never seen Castiel looking more gorgeous. 

 

He opened his mouth and cleared his throat. “Hey Cas.” 

 

Castiel gave a quick smile. “You look good, Dean.” 

 

Dean definitely didn't blush as he stepped in closer to Cas, reaching out for his tie to turn it around proper. “So do you.” He glanced up at Cas and froze when their eyes caught.  He’d stared into Cas’ eyes for hours when they were younger.  He’d had all sorts of sappy thoughts about how they were every single shade of blue all at once, and how they were old and young at the same time.  

 

The first time he’d kissed Cas had been because he’d felt drawn in, magnetized by that stare and the way Cas looked at him.  And now…  Dean glanced down to Castiel’s lips and felt himself grin.  “Never did learn to wear your chapstick, did you?”  

 

Castiel blinked at him, those eyes just as big and blue as he remembered.  Dean wanted to grin and kiss Castiel right then and there, but it was too soon for that, more than a little too soon.  He blinked in shock when two fingers slipped into his pants pocket and tugged.  

 

“And you never learned to wear jeans without holes in them,” Castiel said, a grin starting on his face.  

 

Dean laughed, some of the tension leaving him as he stepped back from Cas and gestured to the table.  “Come on, sit down Cas.”  

 

Dean sat down again and smiled at Cas from across the table, at the way he was looking around them.  “Is, uh, the outside table all right?  I figured you’d want to sit out here.  You always loved the sounds of a lake.”  

 

Castiel hummed and turned to look at Dean.  “You remember that?”  

 

Dean flushed and promised himself that he wasn’t going to blush again.  He had a kid going into college, he was too damn old to be blushing.  “Yeah, Cas.  I remember everything.  Couldn’t forget you if I tried.”  

 

His heart skipped a beat when Cas grinned at him, and there was the grin he knew.  The one that was all teeth and gums, and now there were laughter crinkles at the edge of Castiel’s eyes and Dean wanted to kiss them.  

 

“Did you look at the menu, Dean?” Castiel asked.  

 

Dean blinked at the reminder that they needed to eat and shook his head, opening it, glad when Cas did the same.  “No, what’s good here?”  

 

“They have the best burger in the area.  They also have homemade pie every night of the week,” Castiel said, smiling when Dean looked at him in shock.  “I remember things too, Dean.  They even carry some local beer on tap.”  

 

Dean swallowed hard, his heart pounding wildly.  “Why, uh, why don’t you take off your coat and jacket and stay a little while, huh?” He managed.  He’d tried for teasing, but it had come out far more hesitant and shy than he wanted.  

 

Castiel stood again and Dean watched as he shed the layers, and then his tie as well, leaving him in only a white button up and Dean wanted to rip it off of him.  Castiel’s shoulders had broadened, and his skin was tan.  His fingers itched with the desire to reach out and touch, to worship, to see if Cas loved all of the same things he had when they were younger.  

 

“No one has ever looked at me like that, Dean.  I suspect no one ever will,” Castiel said, interrupting Dean’s thoughts.  

 

Dean snapped his eyes back to Cas and took another gulp of water, guilt choking him.  “Shit, sorry, Cas.  Didn’t mean to-”

 

“I didn’t say that I disliked it, Dean.  Quite the contrary,” Castiel said, taking a sip of his own water.  

 

Dean laughed, leaning back into the seat as the waiter walked towards them.  “You turned into quite the little shit, didn’t you?”  

 

Castiel smiled and stared directly into Dean’s eyes.  “I had an excellent teacher.”  

 

This time Dean knew that he was blushing as he and Cas both ordered drinks and their food.  The waiter left the table again and Dean was completely at a loss for what he was supposed to say.  This was Cas, a long time ago, this was easy, they could talk about anything and everything and-

 

“So what are you going to do if Katie becomes a Red Soxs fan?” Castiel asked.  

 

Just like that, they were talking like they had never stopped.  The topics had changed, but Cas still laughed at all of his terrible jokes and Dean grinned at Cas’ deadpan humor.  They talked all of the way through dinner, through the beer and pie afterward, and until the moon had risen high into the sky.  

 

Dean knew that he should let Cas head home, and he’d call Cas tomorrow and maybe they could talk more, but he didn’t want this night to end.  He walked towards his car, Cas by his side, and he wondered if it would be too much to try for a kiss tonight.  

 

“Oh!” Castiel said, his eyes lighting up.  “I remember her!” 

 

Dean glanced around and was about to ask who the hell ‘she’ was when Castiel strode towards the Impala and slowly ran his hand along her.  He swallowed hard and stared at the small smile on Cas’ face.  “You do?”  

 

Castiel rolled his eyes and looked at Dean.  “Of course!  The legos in the vents.  The army man in the door.  The first time you convinced me to make out in the back seat-”  

 

“Come on a drive with me,” Dean blurted.  Cas turned to look at him and he stepped closer, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans.  “We’ll just drive until we end up somewhere.  Just like we used to.”  

 

Castiel smiled again and Dean felt his heart stutter to a stop when he realized that the smile was being accompanied by a nod.  An eager nod, even.  

 

“Yes, of course, I’ve missed driving with you,” Castiel said, straightening his trenchcoat, walking to the passenger side.  

 

Dean unlocked the doors and climbed in, watching as Castiel slid into the car easily, shutting the door behind him.  Cas’ skin was pale in the moonlight, and damn, he’d never thought that he’d see this again.  He turned the engine on and listened to her purr before he pulled out of the parking lot.  

 

He looked over at Cas and grinned, bright and wide.  “Shall we get lost, Cas?”  

 

Castiel’s words came immediately, just like they always had.  “Good and lost, Dean.”  

 

Dean lost himself in the easy rhythm of driving along the back highways of New York.  They’d left the city far behind.  Out here, there were lakes and forests and nothing but them and the impala.  He glanced over at Cas and smiled when he realized that Cas was staring out the window like he always did.  

 

He dropped his hand between them on the seats and waited.  Dean didn’t know if Cas would, well, it was worth a shot.  

 

A few minutes later, a warm hand wrapped around his and Dean couldn’t keep the small gasp that escaped to himself.  They twined their fingers together, holding on, just like they had done over countless nights, and hundreds of times over.  Castiel gave his hand a squeeze and Dean shivered, holding on as tight as he could.  

 

The next time he saw the sign for a lake, he took the exit and drove them there.  They didn’t need to say anything.  They never had.  Not like this.  He pulled onto a dirt path and followed it, until they were at the lakefront and rolled his window down.  The quiet sounds of a lake surrounded them and he looked over at Cas.  

 

“Want to watch the stars?” He asked.  

 

Castiel turned to smile at Dean before climbing out of the car.  “There’s no one I would rather watch them with, Dean.”  

 

At least here it was dark and Cas couldn’t see how much he blushed at that.  He climbed out as well and went to go get the blanket he kept in the back.  He threw it on the hood, and watched as Castiel made himself comfortable, leaning back and against the windshield.  Dean climbed up and next to him, looking up at the sky.  “Gorgeous tonight, aren’t they?”  

 

“Yes,” Castiel agreed.  

 

Dean glanced over at Castiel and blinked in surprise when Castiel was staring at him.  He swallowed and coughed.  “I meant the stars, Cas.”  

 

“Ah,” Castiel said.  “My mistake.  Though my statement is nonetheless true.”  

 

This time it was easy to reach out and take Cas’ hand, their fingers folding together like they had never stopped.  Dean exhaled hard and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.  “I’ll tell you a secret if you tell me one,” he said, smiling a little.  

 

It had been a game they had played.  Small confessions slowly led to larger ones.  Wanting to hold hands.  Kissing under the stars.  Falling in love and admitting it.  Everything important they’d said to each other had always started with this game.  

 

Castiel chuckled.  “All right, Dean.  Tell me a secret.”  

 

“I can’t swim worth shit,” Dean admitted, glancing over at Cas with a smile.  

 

Castiel hummed and looked at Dean.  “I’d guessed that when you didn’t want to come to the lake house with me.”  

 

“I didn’t say it’d be a good secret,” Dean said, squeezing Cas’ hand.  “Your turn.”  

 

“Kissing you under the stars was the best thing in the entire world. Your skin was pale like the moonlight.  Every freckle stood out, and I wanted to kiss them all,” Castiel said, tilting his head back.  

 

Dean shivered and held onto Cas’ hand tightly.  “My turn,” he said, taking a deep breath.  “You’re the only guy I’ve ever dated.  Any other time I tried, they didn’t...they weren’t you.  No one was ever close.”  

 

Castiel’s hand tightened around his and Dean kept staring up at the stars.  He managed to get the words out.  “Your turn,” he whispered. 

 

“I dreamt of you in college.  Of what might have happened if we’d stayed together.  It was only when I found out you had a daughter that I forced myself to let go of the idea that I could ever have you again,” Castiel admitted.  

 

Dean closed his eyes and forced himself to take a deep breath.  Castiel’s hand was still in his, holding on tightly.  “I drove to Cornell.  A dozen times, or more, your freshman year.  I missed you like air, Cas.  I tried to work up the courage to approach you, but you looked…” he swallowed.  “You looked happy, and I didn’t want to ruin that.”  

 

Castiel turned to look at Dean, the spell of their game broken.  “You did?”  

 

Dean closed his eyes on the stars, opening them again when turned his head to stare back at Cas, their eyes meeting like magnets.  “Yeah, Cas.  I did.”  He wasn’t sure what the look in Castiel’s eyes meant, but he couldn’t look away, never wanted to.  

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Castiel whispered.  

 

Dean swallowed and forced himself to admit the truth.  “You’re better off without me.”  

 

Castiel scoffed and then he was closer and Dean had to blink to keep his eyes from crossing as he stared.  

 

“You idiot,” Castiel said, reaching out to cup Dean’s face in his hands.  “I was never better off without you.  Never.  Not for one single second.  We would have been better  _ together. _ ” 

 

“Cas-”

 

“Shut up, Dean,” Castiel ordered.  

 

Dean opened his mouth to protest, but that was the exact moment chapped lips slid over his and blue eyes filled his vision until there was nothing else but Cas.  He closed his eyes and let himself feel, reaching out to pull Cas closer, their lips slowly re-memorizing each other.  

 

When air became necessary and Castiel pulled back enough to stare at him again, Dean had to force his fingers to loosen.  That hadn’t been enough, one touch, soft and simple, hadn’t been nearly enough.  “ _ Cas _ , I-”  

 

“I know, Dean,” Castiel whispered, leaning in again.  “I’ve always known.”  

 

This time when they kissed, there was no gentle softness, no searching to see if they remembered.  Castiel kissed him, hard and passionate, pressing him back against the windshield of his car, climbing into his lap to move even closer still.  Those kisses went on for what felt like hours, their lips parting for the barest of moments before they were sealed together again.  

 

Dean pressed a finger to Cas’ swollen lips when they parted again and waited for blue eyes to meet his.  “I’m two decades late, Cas, but better late than never, right?” He asked, watching blue eyes blink at him in confusion.  Dean pulled his finger away and leaned in to kiss Cas again, sucking one full lower lip into his mouth.  

 

He swallowed the moan from Cas and wrapped his arms firmly around the other man.  When they parted again, he managed to get the words out that he should have said years ago.  “Stay Cas.  Please stay.  I need you.   _ Please _ .”  

 

The desperately hissed ‘Yes!’ against his lips was everything Dean ever could have wanted.  

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
> You can find me here: 
> 
> [Aria-Lerendeair ](http://aria-lerendeair.tumblr.com/)
> 
> You can also watch me write fics like this (and dozens of others) live! Follow me on Livestream for fics, shenanigans and a general all-around awesome time! http://new.livestream.com/accounts/7212317


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